The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-01-24
THE MISER'S REFORM.

|
body and soul both, and I'll tell you
how. Losing wife and child while l
was still a young man broke me down.
For q time did not care whether l
lived or died, but still kept on with
my business, and presently / found
myself beginning to love money. 1t
became the greatest pleasure OF my ex.
istenoe to count up gains, and to add
dollar to dollar.
The house had furnished so pretti-
ly for Marie, and which she had taken
such pride in, left to itself began to
show signs OF neglect. For time l
retained the old housekeeper to bright
en- things up and keep them tidy. but
that luxury cost too much, and l dis
missed her.
Then, not liking to see the pretty
things which had been so dear to Ma
RE go to decay through dust ard neg
lect, | had them carried up to the
great garrett that extended the whole
length OF the house. For time l did
feel very unhappy when they were all
banished, and was left with the bare
boards and two or three chairs, but l
consoled myself by the reflection that
some day would have them all back
again.
/ turned the once cheerful room in
which had spent so many pleasant
houis with my wife and little one in
to sort OF second office, and there l
slept, ate my scanty meals and did
much OF my work. 1t was sordid.
sorry life. Idenied myself every COM
fort, almost, but that OF fire, in the
dead OF winter. That l would have,
and Of the best hickory, no matter
what it cost. Meats and delicacies I
could do without, books and comforts
of many sorts, but fire-that was
the one link that bound me to the in
'tincts OF my kind.
Igrew shabby, lean and ugly. My
hair began to stand up on my head
through lack of moisture, my eyes
grew hollow, my cheeks were sunken,
and looked like what was, a miser.
To gather gold, to count it, to gloat
over its accumulation, and that for
it's own worshiped sake, became the
ruling passion of my life. Not houses
and lands and friends that might have
been bought. but gold, gold, gold!
For this l shaved, neglected my kind,
and denied my God.
shall never forget Tuesday, the
thirteenth day OF January, Ammo
Domini eighteen hundred and sixty
seven. That is the way l have writ
Ten it down in my daybook.
Imagine me coming tony solitary
house, in the lower part OF the great
city OF New York, hemmed in by ware
houses. / say, imagine me in my thin
coat buttoned over n pocket book as
plethoric as was lean, entering the
implanted and cobwebbed front door
and walking through the large hall,
solacing myself with the thought that
| should soon be comfortable in front
ola blazing fire, and finding as Iopened
the door to my own den, great red
flame upon the hearth. and covering
over it the thin, almost skeleton form
OF n child.
Shall ever forget the unearthly
look OF the great, dark eyes as she
turned toward me? Eyes that see n
ed to light up the very corners OF the
room to my frightened. excited fancy.
came forward slowly; she never stir
red, only continued to gaze at me
with a strained, pitiful expression
until she spoke, seeing came to a
pause.
"Oh, the fire is so good"
."What do you mean? Who are
your How did you get here" Task
ed sternly.
81 crawled in through the bars, down
into the cellar. Iguess / staid there
all night. Oh, it was 80 dark and
cold But I'm used to that, now.
Then | found the cellar door and it
was open, and so l came here and
there we're Goals on the hearth and |
made fire."
II the child had not been pretty, /
am sorry to say pretty in spite OF the
CRIME and rags, and marks OF hard
living. and perhaps brutal treatment.
or if she had come there in any other
fashion, at the door as mendicant,
or had she ever been sent by friend,
I should have expelled her on the in
slant; but she had thrown hercelf up
on my bounty-the fire lit up the dark
ewes. that made me think OF my own
L l.. ...d